Pennywise the Dancing Clownis the primary antagonist in Stephen King's horror novel It, a shapeshifting, ancient, malevolent entity that awakens roughly every 27 years in the town of Derry, Maine, to feed on human fears, primarily children's, by transforming into their worst nightmares, often appearing as a creepy clown. Known as "It," this cosmic being uses various forms but favors the clown persona because children are easily scared by clowns, allowing It to "salt the meat".